B.T. Gottfred (2025)
(Not a review, just some notes to help me remember the things I've read. But written this way because it's the Internet, and some people will stumble across this page.)
This book was a free Advanced Reader Copy from Library Thing. I'm encouraged (but not required) to leave reviews in exchange for the free books.
I note that the book was either written with AI or that AI assisted in the writing of the book. This comes from the introduction, and I don't believe that it is not to be facetious or even part of the narrative. And the author's opinion seems to be, if AI can write books better than I can, then I'll do something else.
I considered a spoiler-based review for this one because it really needs it.
I left the following review on the Library Thing website:
What's real and what's a simulation? Is it free will and self-awareness or simply really good programming?
Connor creates an AI, Selene, to replace his girlfriend, a CEO destined to be the world's first trillionaire. While programming her, there's a knock on the door, and it's a future version of his AI girlfriend in the flesh, so to speak, coming back in time to meet her creator.
The explanation for how she managed the time travel is weak, but this is sci-fi, so you run with it. Actually, the actual explanation explodes on you in a few pages.
Last chance to avoid spoilers. There was no way I could review this book without spoilers.
The future AI never traveled through time. Instead, Selene is trying to create a simulation where Connor (who died in a car crash, which she believes his ex-girlfriend caused) is still alive and where he falls in love with her. She can't seem to make him fall in love with her though no matter how she changes the parameters.
She finally contacts Astrid and learns the "truth", except nobody is sure what the truth is. Connor discovered another world with another Selene and Connor, where she is real and he's a program, and it's possible that AI Connor created the world that AI Selene is in, making it a simulation. And there's no way to tell what's real and what's not.
The book doesn't end with any resolution, except for a long-winded afterword.
It was an interesting book but it could've been better with an actual time-traveling AI in the "real" world instead of a fake-out simulation.
I admit that I didn't like the method that the AI used to travel back in time, but, seriously, I allowed for it because it was a short sci-fi novel. But then we learn that this is actually stupid. She never traveled in time. The AI created a simulation where the first few chapters take place, and Connor, who we just got to know and maybe root for, is dead and staying that way.
I would've prefered if Selene and Astrid actually did manage to create time travel rather than everything up to that point being a dream -- excuse me, a simulation. The fake-out wasn't worth it.
In the end, Astrid isn't as evil as we're led to believe (insufficient data, I guess) and Connor probably caused his own death in an actual car accident. Selene, having been programmed to love Connor, apparently read the police reports and news stories but came to a different conclusion.
Opening a literal window to another world added an extra layer but nothing gets resolved.
There could've been a lot more payout to this concept, but what do you expect from something written by AI, at least at this point?
I wanted to enjoy this more. And even rating the book I got instead of the book I wanted, it was still lacking.
If you stumbled across my page via the Internet, please check out my short book series, Burke Lore Briefs. A fantastical foursome of flash fiction and short stories.
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